Mousa Arabi; Mehdi Mirzaei; Mehdi Kazemi; hossein omidi-mirzaei; Mehdi Hossein Yazdi
Abstract
The present study was conducted to evaluate the interactions between forage source (alfalfa hay vs. wheat straw) and particle size (fine vs. large) on growth performance, starter intake and ruminal fermentation of Holstein dairy calves. For this purpose, 48 Holstein dairy calves in a completely randomized ...
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The present study was conducted to evaluate the interactions between forage source (alfalfa hay vs. wheat straw) and particle size (fine vs. large) on growth performance, starter intake and ruminal fermentation of Holstein dairy calves. For this purpose, 48 Holstein dairy calves in a completely randomized block design (6 males and 6 females for each treatment) with 2 × 2 factorial arrangements were allocated to experimental diets including: 1) alfalfa hay with fine particle size, 2) alfalfa hay with long particle size, 3) wheat straw with fine particle size, and 4) wheat straw with long particle size. Calves entered the trial on d 4 and the trial lasted on d 70 of the age. Results showed that there was no interaction between forage source and particle size on growth performance, starter intake and feed efficiency of Holstein dairy calves during the all three periods. Skeletal growth characteristics were not affected by experimental diets. Results indicate that ruminal pH, total volatile fatty acids, acetate, propionate, butyrate and valerate molar proportions were similar across treatments. In general, our findings indicate that the different source and particle size of forage had similar effects on performance, skeletal growth and ruminal fermentation in the Holstein dairy calves.
naghme bagheri; Ali Assadi- Alamouti; Mehdi Mirzaei; Mohammad Ali Nouruzian; Mohammad Reza Farrokhzad
Abstract
This study was performed to assess the effects of offering wheat straw as free choice with different particle sizes on ruminal fermentation, blood metabolites and nutrients digestibility of Holstein dairy calves. Individually housed calves (n = 40, BW = 43.8 ±3.2 kg) were used in a completely ...
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This study was performed to assess the effects of offering wheat straw as free choice with different particle sizes on ruminal fermentation, blood metabolites and nutrients digestibility of Holstein dairy calves. Individually housed calves (n = 40, BW = 43.8 ±3.2 kg) were used in a completely randomized design and divided to four different treatments consisting of: 1) starter feed without wheat straw supplementation (control; CON), 2) starter feed + wheat straw with 1mm geometrical mean particle length (GMPL, Fine), 3) starter feed + wheat straw with 4mm GMPL (Medium), and 4) starter feed + wheat straw with 7mm GMPL (Long). Calves entered the trial on d 15, weaned on d 56 and the study ended on d 90 of age. After morning feeding, the ruminal pH were increased by offering forage only at 8 h on d 35 and 4 and 8 h on d 90 (P = 0.05). The total short chain fatty acids concentration (SCFAs), molar proportion of acetate and propionate were similar across treatments, however, the molar proportion of butyrate increased (P = 0.04) in forage supplemented calves compared with CON calves. Regardless of forage particle size, dry matter and crude protein digestibilities were increased in forage supplemented calves compared with CON calves (P = 0.05). Moreover, no differences were found for different geometrical mean particle length of WS. Overall, free-choice provision of wheat straw enhanced ruminal pH, apparent nutrient digestibility, and rumen development indicators (BHBA) in Holstein dairy calves.
Maryam Hosseini; Mahdi Khodaei -Motlagh; Mehdi Mirzaei
Abstract
. Forty eight 10-d old Farahani neonatal lambs (6.8 ± 1.8 kg of body weight) were allocated (n = 12 lambs per treatment; 6 males and 6 females) in a randomized completely block design with 2 × 2 factorial arrangement including the factors of alfalfa hay (AH) supplementation level (low, 10%; ...
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. Forty eight 10-d old Farahani neonatal lambs (6.8 ± 1.8 kg of body weight) were allocated (n = 12 lambs per treatment; 6 males and 6 females) in a randomized completely block design with 2 × 2 factorial arrangement including the factors of alfalfa hay (AH) supplementation level (low, 10%; or high, 30% on DM basis) and grain source (corn vs. barley). Hence, treatments were: (1) barley grain (BG) with 10 % of AH; (2) BG with 30 % of AH; (3) corn grain (CG) with 10 % of AH; and (4) CG with 30 % of AH. All lambs had ad libitum access to water and starter feed throughout the experiment. Further, no interaction was detected between forage supplementation level and grain source for starter intake, average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency. Lambs fed low level of AH had greater betahydroxy butyrate (BHB) concentration in serum on d 30 and 60 of the study (P < 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively). Lambs received barley-based starters had greater blood urea nitrogen concentrations than corn-based diets on d 60 of the study. Treatments had no effect on skeletal growth characteristics of sucking lambs on d 30 and 60, however, high level of AH supplementation decreased (P < 0.01) hip width compared with low AH inclusion. In general, results showed that AH supplementation at high level could decrease growth performance; however, grain source had no effect on suckling lambs performance.
Ali Saleh Bahmanpour; Farshid Fatahnia; Mehdi Mirzaei; golnaz taasoli; Hamid Reza Mirzaei Alamouti
Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate the effect of grain sources (corn or barley) and alfalfa hay particle size (PS; fine or medium) on growth performance, blood parameters and ruminal fermentation of dairy calves. Thirty-two 3-d-old Holstein dairy calves (36.4 ± 2.0 kg of body weight) were ...
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This study was conducted to investigate the effect of grain sources (corn or barley) and alfalfa hay particle size (PS; fine or medium) on growth performance, blood parameters and ruminal fermentation of dairy calves. Thirty-two 3-d-old Holstein dairy calves (36.4 ± 2.0 kg of body weight) were used in a completely randomized design with 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Experimental diets consisted of diet containing barley grain with fine alfalfa hay PS, barley grain with medium alfalfa hay PS, corn grain with fine alfalfa hay PS and corn grain with medium alfalfa hay PS. Starter feed intake was greater for calves fed corn than those fed barley during the pre- and post-weaning and overall periods. Calves fed corn had greater final body weight as well as overall average daily gain (ADG) than barley calves. However, alfalfa hay PS had no effect on starter intake and ADG. Hip and wither heights were greater in calves fed corn than those fed barley. Total volatile fatty acids concentrations increased and the molar proportion of acetate decreased in calves fed corn compared to those fed barley. These results showed no interactions between grain sources and alfalfa hay PS on calf performance; however, corn inclusion in starter diet improved the growth performance of Holstein calves during the transition from liquid to solid feed.
Alireza Cheraghi-Kamalan; Mehdi Kazemi-Bonchenari; majid kalantar; Mehdi Mirzaei
Abstract
Oil sources could be fed in different forms in animal diets. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of delivery method of soy oil in growing Holstein male calves. Eighteen growing Holstein bull calves (210±23 kg of BW) were randomly allocated in three different treatments ...
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Oil sources could be fed in different forms in animal diets. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of delivery method of soy oil in growing Holstein male calves. Eighteen growing Holstein bull calves (210±23 kg of BW) were randomly allocated in three different treatments with different delivery methods of soy-oil as follow; 1) dietary mixed soy oil (DMSO), 2) roasted soybean seed (RSB), 3) extruded soybean seed (ESB). The diets well balanced as isocaleric and isonitrogenous. The study lasted 10 weeks. Intake was recorded daily and weighing was done by monthly intervals throughout the experiment. Results show that performance parameters (intake, gain and feed conversion ratio) were not influenced with different treatments. Considering the blood metabolites results cleared that beta-hydroxy butyrate (BHBA) reduced in ESB treatment (P < 0=04). The TG concentration was increased in RSB treatment (P=0.01). Digestibility of nutrients also did not differ among treatments (P > 0.05). Delivery method of oil in diets did not influence chewing activity in Holstein calves. Results indicated that based on the experimental dietary fat level (39 g/kg DM), different delivery methods of soy oil may not influence growing calves’ performance and digestibility. Future research warranted to evaluate the delivery method of oil (fat) in higher levels in growing Holstein calves.
Mehdi Mirzaei; Mehdi Kazemi-Bonchenari; Mehdi Khodaei-Motlagh; Hosein Moradi; Yadollah Moharrami
Abstract
The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of grain sources on growth performance, blood parameters and ruminal fermentation in Holstein fattening bulls. For this purpose, eighteen growing Holstein bulls (245 ± 11 d) with an initial BW of 328.4±17.7 were assigned to experimental ...
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The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of grain sources on growth performance, blood parameters and ruminal fermentation in Holstein fattening bulls. For this purpose, eighteen growing Holstein bulls (245 ± 11 d) with an initial BW of 328.4±17.7 were assigned to experimental diets in a completely randomized design. Treatments consisted of barley or corn based diets (100 % barley or corn as the source of grain). Results indicated that dry matter intake (DMI) tended (P = 0.06) to be greater in calves fed corn than those fed barley. Calves fed with corn grain had greater average daily gain (ADG) than those received barley during the first period (d 1 to 28); however, treatments had no effect on ADG in the second period (d 29 to 56). Blood metabolites including glucose, beta-hydroxy butyrate, albumin, total protein and urea nitrogen were not affected by treatments, however, substituting barley with corn decreased aspartate amino transferase in both periods (P = 0.01 and P = 0.05, respectively). Ruminal pH and total volatile fatty acids concentrations were similar between treatments, however, in calves fed with corn grain the molar proportion of acetate (P = 0.03) and acetate to propionate ratio (P = 0.04) increased and the molar proportion of propionate decreased in comparison with calves fed barley. These results, demonstrated that corn grain could be a promising substitution for barley grain in fattening bull's diets with high concentrate level and finely ground grains.
